Between Past and Future: The Rebirth of the Classical Guitar through Manuel de Falla’s Homenaje

The classical guitar has been around for hundreds of years and has undergone immense evolution in repertoire, construction, and technique throughout its journey. Today, the classical guitar has established itself as a viable concert instrument with an extensive repertoire of different genres. Throughout the years, the classical guitar experienced fluctuations in popularity and gained appreciation from other social classes in society. Living between the worlds of folk and classical music resulted in mixed views of the instrument. The instrument experienced fluctuations in popularity throughout its journey. If we look at the 19th century, this period was beneficial for the development of music, marked by the birth of solo recitals, chromaticism, and instrument evolution. Evolution led to the development of new instruments, and the guitar replaced others, such as the lute.

On the other hand, solo recitals became increasingly popular, attracting more people and generating revenue to provide music to a larger population in larger concert halls. However, that innovation was detrimental to the classical guitar because of its poor resonance and the technical difficulty of more chromatic compositions. We can see from the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century that the repertoire created on the instrument was something of the past. In this essay, we will elaborate on how music has evolved in places where the guitar could not reach, for various reasons. The focus will be on how the classical guitar managed to survive compared to another instrument that went out of fashion, and what made it possible for the instrument to continue to grow in technique and repertoire. This essay will be divided into two sections. First, it will look at the state of the classical guitar in the 19th century. Secondly, it will delve into the significant changes in the 20th century that helped the classical guitar thrive in the realm of classical music, rather than being relegated to a folk instrument. Notably, we will examine the collaboration between Manuel de Falla and the guitarist Miguel Llobet, which played a significant role in the development of the classical guitar in the 20th century. The piece composed by De Falla, Homenaje pour Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy, is seen as the first great classical guitar piece of the 20th century. We will examine what makes it stand out compared to pieces composed by classical guitarists.

The state of the classical guitar in the 19th century

We will provide a brief overview of the classical guitar in the 19th century to understand its place as an instrument in Western classical music. By examining the criticisms, compositional approaches, and the status of the guitar, this study aims to highlight the instrument's place within the vast classical music landscape. This general overview will provide an overview of the instrument's situation leading up to the 20th century. At the beginning of the 19th century, the romantic guitar gained increasing popularity in the Western world. Some even consider the 19th century to be the golden age of the guitar in terms of repertoire and popularity. The innovation brought by the romantic guitar helped its continuity. Some notable characteristics are adopting a bass string, a more extensive body for more resonance, and removing the double strings of its predecessor, the baroque guitar. Those innovations helped the instrument become louder and expand on its polyphonic capabilities.

On the other hand, we can witness the adoption of standard notation compared to tablature. This method of notating music was beneficial for showcasing rhythm and dynamic markings for the guitarist and developed extensively during the 19th century into a more refined and organized notation system for the instrument. The guitar's use was evident in various scenarios, including chamber music, vocal music, and solo repertoire, which showcased the instrument's position. Composers such as Fernando Sor, Dionisio Aguado, Johann Kaspar Mertz, Napoleon Coste, Giulio Regondi, and Francisco Tárrega helped develop the repertoire and technique in the 19th century.

Critics of the instrument

The journal article We Hate the Guitar': Prejudice and Polemic in the music press in Early 19th-century Europe, written by Erik Stensdalvolt and published by Early Music, Volume 41, Issue 4, November 2013, discusses the situation of the guitar and it is critics, which gives an insight into how critics and musicians perceived the instrument in the 19th century. This article showcases the harsh criticism of the instrument published by musical journals. Some liked the instrument, and others despised it. Why did the guitar face so much backlash? Factors, including social views, limitations of the instrument, and the new vision of musical aesthetics, impacted the instrument's status. For example, even the leading guitarist at the time, Fernando Sor, was criticized for using the guitar.

 (‘M. Sor does beautiful things on the guitar, but I confess that I have always regretted that this artist, whose musical intelligence is far from ordinary, does not devote himself to an instrument that would offer greater resources to his ability. On hearing M. Sor, one recognizes a superior artist; but, I repeat, why does he play the guitar?’)[1]

Gentrification of instrument

One factor affecting the perception of the guitar is the gentrification of instruments. Carl Ludwig Junker (1748–97) was a philologist and composer who, in an 1783 essay, "Vom Kostüm des Frauenzimmer Spielens," explained which instruments were suitable for a bourgeois woman. According to the author, some instruments were more geared toward women's use, such as the lute and zither, both stringed instruments that eventually gave way to the guitar due to the decline in popularity of the lute. All other instruments, seen as male instruments, were banned from being performed by women—the gentrification of instruments spread throughout Europe, influencing the guitar's perception and status in public performances. The feminine qualities were being merged onto the guitar as gentle, simplistic, and sentimental, which resulted in a limitation for growth by enforcing those criteria that did not align with the musical idealism of the time.

Musical Idealism

In the 19th century, a notable shift in musical aesthetics is evident. German thinkers and critics began to view instrumental music as both entertainment and a source of truth. Music journals were essential in shaping the narrative of musical idealism, which could both praise and critique works by others. It significantly affected the nature of concerts, especially for guitarists who slowly faded away from those events. For example, in Germany, evening concerts were seen as entertainment, offering a diverse range of music, including orchestras, guitar, and even jugglers and reciters. Afterwards, we could see programs consisting only of orchestral and chamber music that would encompass the idea of music. Slowly, the guitar would fade from the concert scene.

Guitar limitation

The instrument's limitations often became apparent during criticism in ways that degraded the guitar. Those limitations are even more evident in the larger concert halls. The guitar is intricate and requires a great deal of focus on multiple things simultaneously. The main argument was the lack of sonority. The unpleasant aspect of the guitar is even more apparent when misplayed. Critics and some guitar composers believed that the instrument should be limited to simple. It did not deserve sophisticated music, given its reputation and the instrument's limitations compared to piano or ensemble music. If we observe the critics of Mauro Giuliani's performance in 1808 in Vienna, where he premiered his guitar concerto, Op. 30, the guitarist received praise for his musical ingenuity but still faced backlash due to the nature of the instrument.

(‘Has not every instrument its own limits decreed by nature? And if these are violated, must not the result be something artificial, or even deformed? We must put the guitar back in its place—let it stick to accompaniment—and we will always be happy to hear it.’)[2]

In 1806, Friedrich Guthmann wrote about the guitar in the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung (AMZ), a seminal musical journal. The author wants to highlight the instrument's positive aspects while staying objective.

(‘Every instrument has its limits, and so does the guitar ... An instrument's artful playing does not consist of doing everything possible on other instruments but in making everything as beautiful and enjoyable as possible within its limitations. Mankind so easily oversteps the boundaries in everything)! [3]

The guitarist needed to consider those limitations in their compositional process and performance. Harvey Turnbull's book, The Guitar from the Renaissance to the Present Day, discusses Hector Berlioz's perception of the instrument in his Treatise on Modern Instrumentation and Orchestration, which sheds light on the challenges posed by the instrument's nature.

(It is almost impossible to write well for the guitar without being a player on the instrument. The majority of composers who employ it are, however, far from knowing it’s power; and therefore, they frequently give it things to play of excessive difficulty, little sonority, and small effect.)[4]

Composing for the guitar requires different attention than other instruments, so we see few non-guitarist composers write for the instrument. If they do, they are unsophisticated accompaniment parts. Berlioz suggests the works of guitarists such as Zanni de Ferranti, Huerta and Fernando Sor as references for what the guitar can achieve.[5] One crucial aspect to consider is the training as a musician that Fernando Sor received, which he could apply to his instrument, contributing to his achievements as a composer and guitarist compared to those of a self-taught guitarist without formal training. Berlioz also further discussed the decline that the instrument faced.

(Since the introduction of the pianoforte into all houses where the least taste for music exists, the guitar has been a little used, save in Spain and Italy. Some performers have studied it, and still study it, as a solo instrument, in such a way as to derive from his effects no less original than delightful. Composers employ it but little, either in the church, theatre, or concert room. Its feeble sonority, which does not allow its union with other instruments, or with many voices possessed even of ordinary brilliancy, is doubtless the cause of this. Nevertheless, its melancholy and dreamy character might more frequently be made available; it has a real charm of its own, and there would be no impossibility in so writing for it as to make this manifest.)[6]

Various factors contributed to the decline of the guitar, including social perceptions of the instrument, the evolution of concert halls, the lack of formal contrapuntal training for guitarists, and limitations of the instrument. However, we can find important pieces written for the guitar that helped it grow as a polyphonic instrument capable of executing sophisticated works by knowledgeable guitarists such as Fernando Sor and Mauro Giuliani. They stand out because they employ the instrument at its full potential. Their sophisticated approach to music made it possible to showcase what the guitar is capable of accomplishing. While the guitar was famous among amateurs, serious musicians such as Giuliani and Sor had a more extensive image of the instrument. While other instruments thrived in big concert halls, the guitar thrived in smaller, more intimate spaces that did not stop its continuity. Various factors influence music's constant evolution, and it is in a state of continuous motion. The 19th century paved the way for the most significant century for the classical guitar.

20th century

The transition from the 19th century to the 20th century for the classical guitar has been crucial to its development. Throughout the classical guitar's history, we have observed that the instrument has experienced fluctuations in popularity. For various reasons, the 20th century is considered the instrument's most crucial century. This section will explore the new relationship between the composer and performer and how it contributed to the continuation and growth of the classical guitar. With technological innovation in different facets of society, music benefited greatly. Some characteristics of music written in the 20th century include the use of technology, experimentation with genres, style, colour, timbre, sounds, tonality, and atonality, with Stravinsky and Schoenberg leading with two distinct views of music.

On the other hand, those criteria fit nicely on the guitar because of the instrument's history and the freedom that brings all those characteristics to the instrument. For example, quartal harmony employed by the impressionistic composers is comfortably executable on the classical guitar. With the arrival of the 20th century, the instrument no longer needed to be restricted by the chromaticism prevalent in the Romantic era, which was physically demanding and challenging to execute. On the other hand,  we can see Manuel de Falla's admiration and optimism for the future of the guitar:

“Falla believes intensely in the Future of the guitar… But at this point, some readers may interrupt with a particular show of contempt; 'Future? I should have considered it an instrument of the past, one with a past, at all events!' It is true that with us, the idea of 'playing on the Spanish guitar 'has somehow acquired a curiously disreputable significance, while the instrument itself is – or was until the arrival of Andres Segovia – regarded as a piece of romantic stage furniture. 'No,' says Falla. 'Not at all! Romantic times were precisely when the guitar was at its worst; then, of course, it spread all over Europe. It was made to play the sort of music that other instruments played, but it was not really suitable for nineteenth centruty music, and so it dropped out. It is coming back again because it is peculiarly adapted for modern music.”[7]

We will dive into Homenaje by Falla and how it pioneered the next generation of classical guitar in terms of musical language, notation, instrument properties, and collaboration between performer and composer. 

New kind of relationship between musician and composers

A critical factor in the development of the classical guitar in the 20th century was the collaboration between non-guitarist composers and guitarists. It provided a new musical language that a guitarist could not do alone. It could realign the classical guitar with the current musical trend observed in classical music by leading composers in the 20th century. This new relationship between composer and instrumentalist created a new trajectory for the instrument that guitarists needed help to achieve. However, why does the guitarist need to collaborate with the composer, as opposed to another instrument? In the documentary of Andres Segovia in Los Olivos, the classical guitarist answers the question of why there was a lack of repertoire when Segovia started his career: "The guitar is a very complicated instrument. By being the only string instrument really polyhonic, it is impossible if you don’t play it and if you don’t play it well."[8] For example, playing one note in many different places is possible, resulting in a different colour. Someone who has not thoroughly studied the instrument might not consider the many colour and timbre possibilities. The unique techniques associated with the instrument, such as rasguado and tremolo, must be carefully organized to ensure they are executable. That’s why the collaboration between the performer and the composer was essential for the development of the classical guitar in the 20th century. For example, a guitarist has not edited the Tedesco Sonatina, op., for flute and guitar, as evidenced in the writing. The third movement features a tremolo passage that requires editing by the performer due to its unfeasible and non-guitaristic approach. This example demonstrates that the guitarist can provide the necessary knowledge for the composer to express and experiment, thereby fitting their vision.

Figure 1 Tedesco Sonatina op.205 III movement

One of the first pieces attributed to the classical guitar by a non-guitarist composer is Manuel de Falla's Homenaje Tombeau de Debussy. This piece is regarded as one of the most significant works of the 20th century for the classical guitar and one of the first by a non-guitarist composer. This piece was written for the Revue Musical in homage to Claude Debussy's death. Henry Pruniere, musicologist and editor of the journal, asked several leading composers to write a piece to commemorate the composer's death. Falla was very fond of Debussy for the innovative qualities found in his music. During this time, Miguel Llobet wanted to commission a piece from Falla, which was crucial to this critical project. This language was new for the instrument compared to what previous guitar composers accomplished.

Characteristics of Falla's in Homenaje Writing

In this piece, Falla focuses less on quoting Debussy but employs the late composer's language. The only literal quotation found in this piece appears at the end of "Soirée dans grenade." We can see the Habanera rhythm employed throughout the piece in various fashions. Falla's interest in Spanish folklore inspired him to write in a style of music called cante jondo, which translates to "deep song." Some characteristics of this style include microtonal modulation in the voice. These melodies rarely pass the sixth note, the repeated use of a single note, and ornaments, especially at melodic high points.[9] We can also see the application of the habanera rhythm, a Cuban dance that made its way into Europe and was popularized during the 20th century, encompassing the whole piece.

Figure 2 Bogdanovic, Dusan. “Homenaje”: An Analysis of Manuel de Falla’s “Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy.” Classical Guitar. Vol. 29. Richmond: String Letter Publishing, 2011, p.6

At the beginning of the 20th century, we can see a growing interest in folk music by leading composers in the classical music world, including works by Béla Bartók and Igor Stravinsky, to name a few. Knowing that the guitar was historically a folkloric instrument, this interest contributed to its integration into the musical trend of the time. We can see the revival of ancient modes and musical styles reimagined to fit the modern era, which this piece employs for the classical guitar, a style that has yet to be explored by leading guitarists of the past.

Articulation and Dynamics

The score provides us with specific articulation, which is unique to that piece compared to other guitar compositions. The X on top of the notes serves a particular purpose that hasn't been seen in guitar writing before. Innovation in musical expression on the guitar has been tremendous since the exploration of different effects, such as percussion, scratching, and playing the strings over the fretboard, during the 20th century. This piece showcases the tip of the iceberg of the instrument's sonic possibilities, which various composers explored throughout the 20th century, and can be seen as an introduction to the options for experimentation and exploration by the composer. We can also see that the particular treatment of dynamics unseen for the instrument before the 20th-century approach characterizes that. Falla had a specific vision, and the fact that it is executable for the guitar showcases his innovative musical and instrumental qualities. The collaboration between the guitarist and composer enables experimentation and ensures the composer's vision is executed.

Figure 3 First page of Homenaje

Figure 4 Indication at the bottom of the page of Homenaje

Harmonic language

We can see a different approach compared to traditional guitar composition. The guitar had been depleted in the repertoire, and to remedy this, guitarists such as Tarrega and Segovia contributed to a variety of transcriptions for the instrument. On the other hand, Homenaje introduced a new language to the classical guitar repertoire that guitarists had not previously explored, helping to reconnect the classical guitar with the current movement in classical music. The piece, as noted by Bogdanovic's analysis, is mode-based. However, according to his studies, they were no consensus on which mode to employ; Bogdanovic used the North Indian Thāta classification developed by N.A Jairazbhoy.[10] This multicultural approach, which is part of the aesthetic of the 20th century, was introduced by this piece for the guitar repertoire. The use of quartal harmonies and quintals, which are easily executable on the guitar, showcases the impressionistic approach employed by Debussy and Falla, a technique not previously utilized for the guitar. The piece was constructed to take advantage of the guitar's unique characteristics, such as colour, articulation, and acoustic properties, which other instruments cannot necessarily achieve.

Conclusion

The evolution seen in the 20th century, which originated in the 19th century, continues to impact how we view and use the guitar to this day. A critical aspect of this evolution is the collaboration of the classical guitarist and composer. One aspect that facilitated the guitar’s integration into classical music at the time was Manuel de Falla's Homenaje. It is not the only circumstance that helped the classical guitar, but one crucial aspect that deserves to be acknowledged more for the sake of understanding its history. Since that piece, we have seen other non-guitarist composers throughout the 20th century experiment with the possibility of the guitar. Through my research, we can see that this piece reflects the aesthetic of the 20th century, which had not been explored for the instrument compared to other forms of musical expression. However, it is essential to consider other factors, such as the development of the instrument, the creation of amplification, and the output of Andres Segovia in the development of the classical guitar in the 20th century. However, Homenaje provided a preview of what the classical guitar would undergo in the 20th century, including the exploration of colour, timbres, effects, articulation, and a harmonic language similar to the one the world of Western music was experiencing.

Bibliography

Jeffery, Brian. Fernando Sor: Composer and Guitarist. 2nd ed. Penderyn, Wales: 1994.

Turnbull, Harvey. The Guitar from the Renaissance to the Present Day. London: Batsford, 1974.

Ugrich, Michael. "A Study of the Triumphs of Andrés Segovia Made Possible Through the Evolution of the Guitar." ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2018.

Heck, Thomas F. Mauro Giuliani : Virtuoso Guitarist and Composer. Columbus: Editions Orphée, 1995.

Stenstadvold, Erik. "‘We Hate the Guitar’: Prejudice and Polemic in the Music Press in Early 19th-Century Europe." Early Music 41, no. 4 (2013): 595–604. https://doi.org/10.1093/em/cat103.

Trend, John Brande. Manuel de Falla and Spanish Music. New York: Knopf, 1929

Segovia, Andrés, and Christopher Nupen. Segovia at Los Olivos. Guildford, England: Allegro Films, 1994.

Bogdanovic, Dusan. "Homenaje": An Analysis of Manuel de Falla’s "Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy." Classical Guitar 29. Richmond: String Letter Publishing, 2011.

Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Mario. "Sonatina, Op. 205." IMSLP, https://imslp.org/wiki/Sonatina,_Op.205_(Castelnuovo-Tedesco,_Mario) (accessed March 24, 2024).

Manuel de Falla. "Homenaje, pour le tombeau de Claude Debussy." In IMSLP, accessed March 24, 2024. https://s9.imslp.org/files/imglnks/usimg/8/84/IMSLP229164-PMLP04187-Falla_-_Homenaja_gtr_Sibley.1802.21420.pdf

Morgan, Robert P. Twentieth-Century Music : A History of Musical Style in Modern Europe and America. 1st ed.--. New York: Norton, 1991.

[1]

Revue musicale, vi/3 (1832), p.22. Quoted after B. Jeffery, Fernando Sor, composer and guitarist (London, 2/1994), p.103.

[2] AMZ, x/34 (1808), cols.538–9; quoted after Heck, Mauro Giuliani, p.40.

[3] AMZ, viii/23 (1806), cols.362–6. From Stenstadvold, Erik. "‘We Hate the Guitar’: Prejudice and Polemic in the Music Press in Early 19th-Century Europe." Early Music 41, no. 4 (2013): 595–604. https://doi.org/10.1093/em/cat103.

4 Berlioz, Hector : A Treatise on Modern instrumentation and orchestration ,tr. Mary. Cowden Calrke, London, nd. From Turnbull, Harvey. The Guitar, from the Renaissance to the Present Day. New York: C. Scribner’s Sons, 1974, page 87.

[5] Turnbull, Harvey. The Guitar, from the Renaissance to the Present Day. New York: C. Scribner’s Sons, 1974.

[6] Berlioz, Hector : A Treatise on Modern instrumentation and orchestration ,tr. Mary. Cowden Calrke, London, nd. From Turnbull, Harvey. The Guitar, from the Renaissance to the Present Day. New York: C. Scribner’s Sons, 1974, page 87.

[7] Trend, John Brande. Manuel de Falla and Spanish Music. New York: Knopf, 1929, p.39

[8] Segovia, Andrés, and Christopher Nupen. Segovia at Los Olivos. Guildford, England: Allegro Films, 1994.

[9] Bogdanovic, Dusan. “Homenaje”: An Analysis of Manuel de Falla’s “Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy.” Classical Guitar. Vol. 29. Richmond: String Letter Publishing, 2011, p.3

[10] Jairazbhoy N. A. The Rāgs of North Indian Music, 1971, Faber & Faber, London from Bogdanovic, Dusan. “Homenaje”: An Analysis of Manuel de Falla’s “Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy.” Classical Guitar. Vol. 29. Richmond: String Letter Publishing, 2011, p.14